| Your computer is probably full of, digital images, music, | | | | 2. When the AutoPlay dialog box appears, click Burn |
| e-mails, PowerPoint presentations, Word documents, | | | | files to data disc. |
| Excel spreadsheets, and probably much more. You | | | | 3. When the Burn a Disc dialog box appears, type a |
| can always reinstall the operating system whenever | | | | disk title, and click Next. |
| your computer crashes, but unfortunately you lose all | | | | 4. The Formatting dialog box appears. |
| those files you did not backup. Like those baby | | | | 5. Now you can start to drag-and-drop files on to the |
| pictures you've been saving for years and those | | | | disk just formatted. |
| documents that you never got around to transferring | | | | USB Flash Drive |
| to hard copy. If your computer crashes today, could | | | | Flash drives due to their physical size will always |
| you easily reinstall your important files on your | | | | present a security problem. That issue aside, they are |
| computer? If the answer is no, you'll want to start | | | | excellent for transporting PowerPoint presentations, |
| making backup copies of your important files regularly. | | | | reports or just moving files from one computer to |
| However, with a proper backup you could reinstall all | | | | another. However one of the most common uses |
| your important files on your computer in minutes. | | | | today is transporting files back and forth to the office. |
| Where should I store my files? | | | | It stands to reason that at some point people would |
| On Windows Vista there is a special folder called | | | | start using flash drives to archive their important files. If |
| Documents, which users can use to store their files. Of | | | | you use a flash drive to temporally store your |
| course there is no obligation to store files in the | | | | important files or transport them to another computer. |
| Documents folder but since it makes sense to do so, it | | | | Remember to keep a tight leash on your flash drive. |
| merits considering. Organizing important files into neat | | | | USB External Hard Drive |
| little yellow icon sub-folders beneath the Documents | | | | This type of hardware configuration is one of the |
| folder significantly diminishes the odds of misplacing | | | | simplest to assemble and use on the market today. |
| files; it also helps locate selected files during backup | | | | Don't let that simple fact confuse you. Independent of |
| and restore. | | | | manufactures USB hard drives perform quite well |
| Live File System | | | | overall. You can buy a USB hard drive configuration in |
| You're ready to start making copies of your important | | | | two basic forms Desktop or Portable, and between |
| files, if you have a DVD or CD burner on your | | | | the two types the performance is relatively the same. |
| Windows Vista system. Using the Vista Live File | | | | Keeping your files safe has never been simpler than |
| System, you'll be able to format and copy your | | | | using a USB hard drive. Once the USB hard drive is |
| important files on to DVD or CD disks. And | | | | formatted, it can be populated with whatever type of |
| immediately start accessing files just as you would on | | | | files you wish. The folder structure can be as |
| any USB flash drive or USB external hard drive. If | | | | complicated as you wish or you can just |
| you're pressed for time and only have CD-R disks you | | | | drag-and-drop the folder structure on your computer's |
| can still copy and delete files, but the deleted files | | | | hard drive right on to the USB hard drive, and never |
| actually don't recover the space they once occupied. | | | | look back |
| However with DVD-RW or CD-RW disks you can | | | | How often should you make backups? |
| write and read without encountering the problems of | | | | The frequency of backups should depend on how |
| disk space associated with CD-R disks. | | | | often you are adding or changing the information |
| If you're not acquainted with the process for using the | | | | stored on your computer. If you don't use your |
| Live File System you'll want to read the proceeding | | | | computer every day, as a general rule backing up your |
| steps they may be of help: | | | | important files once a week might be good enough. |
| | | | Now if you use your computer every day, backing up |
| 1. Insert a CD disk into your computer's disk burner. | | | | your important files every day is certainly a good idea. |